Del Rio, a 6-2, 203-pounder who walked on with the Crimson
Tide and redshirted the 2013 season, was reportedly in the mix to replace NFL
prospect A.J. McCarron in the starting lineup. News of Del Rio's interest in
OSU surfaced shortly after he announced his intentions to transfer Wednesday on
Twitter.

"We are very excited that Luke
has chosen to join the Oregon State football program," Riley said in a news
release. "He is an exceptional young man and will be a great
representative of Beaver Nation on and off the field."

Del Rio, a three-star recruit out of Valor Christian High
School in Highlands Ranch, Colo., spurned a Beavers scholarship offer, among
others, to walk on at Alabama. He will miss the upcoming season due to NCAA
transfer rules, and will have three years to use three years of eligibility
starting in 2015.

ESPN.com rated Del Rio, the son
of Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, the Class of 2013's No.
27 pocket passer. He passed for 2,275 yards, 28 touchdowns and
four interceptions while leading Valor Christian to the Colorado 5A State
Championship his senior year. That came after he threw for 2,580 yards and 20
touchdowns as a junior at Episcopal High School in Jacksonville, Fla.

Del Rio, the second transfer to
sign with OSU since the regular season ended, should challenge for immediate
playing time in 2015. He will join a quarterback corps that will likely include
Kyle Kempt and Brent VanderVeen. The Beavers are are expected to sign three
quarterbacks — Tanner Sanders (Corvallis), Nick Mitchell (Snoqualmie, Wash.)
and Marcus McMaryion (Dinuba, Calif.) — on National Signing Day next month.

At this point, it's unclear how
Del Rio's signing will impact former California quarterback Zach Kline. The
Danville, Calif., native reportedly intended to transfer to OSU next season after
attending a junior college during winter and spring terms. He was supposed
to become eligible in 2015.